Condensation of metallic vapors



Sept. 8, 1942. v C, Q LQNG 2,295,226 CONDENSATION OF METALLC VAPORS l Filed April 29, 1940 P10/1 30 Mr 3l` I 3354/3 f5 Patented Sept. 8, 1942 CoNDENsATIoN or METALLIC vAroas Carleton C. Long, Beaver, Pa., assig-nor to St.

Joseph Lead Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation o New York x Application April 29, 1940, sei-iai No. 332,359

7 Claims. (Cl. 751-67) This invention relates to the condensation of l metallic vapors.

The invention has for its principal object the provision of a method of continuously condensing,

in large quantitieametal vapors from a mixture of metal vapors and permanent or non-condensible gases.

A characteristic feature of the invention is the provision of means to eect this condensation in such a manner' that reaction of the metallic vapors with the accompanying permanent or noncondensible gases is substantially avoided. This feature isof vital importance when condensing vapors from reaction systems in which the products of reactionmay undergo a reverse reaction upon lowering the temperature.

An outstanding example of this type of system is the thermic reduction of magnesium oxide by carbon to form magnesium metal vapor and carbon monoxide,

This reaction proceeds to the right with increase in temperature, and, at a temperature Vof about 1800 C., at one atmosphere total pressure, the reaction is substantially complete. .If the temperature is allowed to fall, the reaction tends to reverseto the left.

From a practical viewpoint, this means that a mixture of Mg and CO, evolved from a reaction zone at suitable temperature, will, if the temperature is lowered, react with each other to form MgO and carbon soot. In order to condense any of themagnesium vapor, however, the temperature must be reduced at least below the dew point temperature of magnesium vapor in the system considered, To condense substantial amounts of magnesium vapor the exit temperature of the condenser should be not higher than '750-800 C.

Reaction velocities, in general, increase with increases in temperature. Conversely, if a hot mixture of carbon monoxide and magnesium vapor is abruptly chilled, the reaction velocity rapidly is reduced to an inlnitesir'nally slow rate so that there is little opportunity for any substantial portion of the magnesium vapor to be oxidized. i

Various means for securing this abrupt temperature drop have been proposed. In one system, undercooled hydrogen gas is mingled in large volumes with the mixture of carbon monoxide and magnesium vapor issuing from the reaction zone. Another suggestion has been to impinge the hot vapor-gasmixture on a iilm of oil formed'on a water-cooled sheet .or drum. Another suggestion envisages passing the hot vapor-gas mixture 55H through a tower packed with lumps of a fusible material, the latent heat of melting of which will abstract heat from the vapor-gas stream.

The present invention discloses a method of securing the necessary abrupt temperature drop simply and eectively and lat the same time oil'ers a method for handling large volumes of gases and vapors on a commercial scale.

Briey, the method comprises bubbling the gasvapor mixture through a suitably enclosed liquidl y condensing medium.

In U. S, Patent 2,070,101 issued to Weaton and Najarian, an internal type condenser is described in which metallic vapors such as zinc or the like are drawn through a bath of molten metal by an appropriate suction producing device. In practical operation a condenseil of this type filled with molten zinc recovers 20 tons or more of zinc a day from a mixture of carbon monoxide gasv and zinc vapor formed by the reduction of zinc oxide materials by carbon in 'an `electric resistance furnace. The operating temperature of the zinc bath is normally of the order of 550 C.

Upon attempting to apply this technique to the recovery of magnesium from a mixture of carbon monoxide and magnesium vapor, a diilicultyis encountered. in that, to keep the bath from freezing, a higher temperature must be maintained. Magnesium m'elts at approximately 651 C., and to provide a margin of safety, the actual temperature of the liquid magnesium metal bath must be carried somewhat higher than the melting point. At these temperatures the reaction rate between carbon monoxide and magnesiummay not be entirely disregarded, and a certain degree ofI re-` i version to magnesium oxide is to be expected.

The present invention, in place of employing a molten metal bath of the same metal as that I whose vapor is being condensed, provides a, condensing medium diiering in composition from the metallic vapors to be condensed. The characteristics of e condensing medium provided are suchthat t e bath temperature may be carried at a level sumciently low to substantially avoid any reaction reversal or rer-oxidation. By this means I retain all the benefits of the internal type condenser of Weaton and Najarian, such as ease of handling large amounts of vapors and gases in a continuous manner, but'avoidv the diiiiculties that arise when an attempt is made to condense vapors from a reversible system atk temperatures ,high enough to permit re-oxldation.

pal categories: (a) a molten metal other than that of which the vapors are to be condensed;

(b) a fused salt bath, such as a iiux bath, which is inert to the condensed metal and the permanent and other non-metallic impurities, and (6) ability .to remain freely fluid even after having taken up substantial quantities of oxides or other impurities. 4

In general, I nd that liquid sait fluxes may be 7 'handled in ferrousalloy containers (condenser shells) 'providing oxygen is substantially absent. Iny a magnesium condenser free oxygen obviously cannot be present. Refractory condenser shells gases, but which may have the property of unit-` in general are rapidly attacked by fluid flux ing with and'rexnoving residual amounts of metalbaths. An Outstanding exception appears to be lic oxides. (c) an entirely inert fluid, such as a the silicon carbide refractory sold commercially hydrocarbon oil, or almixture of hydrocarbons under the trade-name "Carbofrax. to give a fluid bath of suitable composition. Under type c cheap hydrocarbons such astero- Under type a for the condensation of mag- 10 sene or slightly heavier petroleum distillate fracnesium vapor from a mixture of magnesium vapor tions may be employed. Steel or steel alloy conand carbon monoxide, one suitable condensing tainers for the condensing liquid may advim composition that may be employedis molten lead. tageously be employed. A portion of the con- Lead possesses a particularly long fluid range, densing fluid may be diverted .through a settling measured on a temperature scale. Although lead chamber, thickener, or filter, and the clarified melts at 327 C.,the boiling point, under normal overow lreturned to the condenser. The use of pressure, is over 1600 C. v oilgs a condensing medium covers `each con- Unlike zinc, lead does not react with iron or *v/densed metallic particle with a p'rotective film steel or their alloys. This helpful fact permits which inhibits oxidation. a considerable modification of condenser con- 2o The necessary abrupt chilling, mentioned struction and practice, as temperature control is above, may be secured in a particularly advannot hampered by interposed refractories, and, tageous manner, when a type c condenser uid is also,l a force feed circulating system may be adused, by injecting large quantities of the hydrovantageously employed, by means of which the carbon oil, or one of the lower boiling point concondensing medium maybecirculated through an stituents, if a mixture of-hydrocarbons is emexternal cooler and through a separating chamployed, into the gas-vapor stream between the ber where the solid magnesium powder and magfurnace exit and the condensing iiuid bath. The nesium-lead alloy may be separated from the vheat 0f eVaDOlaiiOn 0f the injected liquid i8 decondensmg 11mm-1 t rived from the temperature drop of the gas- In condensation experiments using lead as th vapor mixture and from the heat evolved by con- A condensing agent, I find that formation of magdenSiIlg metallic vapor. The vapolized hydronesium-lead' alloy occurs and that this may, in carbon is again returned to the liquid state in certain circumstances, be a disadvantage. the condenser or in ,a subsequent gas cleaning Therefore, methods .b and c, described below, are train or fractionation column. of more general application. However, 4when the 35 This method of shock-cooling possesses marked lead-magnesium alloy itself is the desired nal and substantial advantages over the older art product, the use of molten lead as the condensing method of injecting large volumes of undercooled `agentis advantageous. Lead-magnesium alloys hydrogen gas. Particularly is this true with the are finding use in loading shotgun shells for bird internal type condenser, for, with an increase in shooting, wherein, if wounds are not fatal, the 40 volume of non-condensible gases, the fluid loss -pellets soon disintegrate Ain the body fluids. from vapor pressure effects increases in propor- Lead-magnesium alloys also find some use as tion, whereas if the shock-chilling agent is a condeoxidizing agents in `steel manufacture. The densible vapor, such as gasoline, kerosene, and addition of lead to steel tends to better the mathe like, the volume of non-condensible gas leav- ,chining properties. ing the condenser is restricted to the carbon Under type b may be employed,4 for example, monoxide entering with the metal vapor from the readily fusible mixtures of magnesium, potassium furnace. This latter volume is of the order of and sodiumchlorides. A mixture of 60% MgCl2, only one-hundredth of the non-condensible gas 30% NaCl, and 10% KCl has been found to be volume that must be handled when hydrogen, or suitable. n This mixture melts and becomes fluid other inert permanent gas, is employed for shockat about 450 C. n chilling. The total amount of heat, sensible and Particular advantages of iiuid flux baths are latent, that must be removed when cooling a that-the condensed magnesium particles are sur- Vapor-gas mixture of 40% Mg and 60% CO from rounded by a lm of iiux which protects them 2000 C. to 100 C. is approximately 6500 B. t. u. from oxidation, and that.any oxide formed or per pound of magnesium. carried over into the condenser is dissolved by Yet another advantage of employing a readily the iiux bath. vaporizable portion of the condensing liquid bath Powdered or finely' ground solid salt mixture to secure shock-chilling is that the problem of may be injected into the gas-vapor stream imseparating the shock-chilling agent from the carme'diately ahead of the liquid flux bath to take up 60 bon monoxide is eliminated, inasmuch as this some vof the heat by melting the flux particles separation occurs naturally as a part of the opand also.to vserve as. condensation nuclei for. the eration of the condenser and its accessories. In condensing vapor. the volder art methods, separation of hydrogen Other salt mixtures than the example menfrom carbon monoxide so that the hydrogen tio'ned'above may be employed. Desirable prop- 65 might be re-used was in itself a problem of no erties of a saltbath for condensing purposes are mean technical difllculty which profoundly af- (l) low melting point, (2) inertness toward vapor fected the overall economy of the process. being condensed, (3) low vapor pressure, (4) In a preferred apparatus embodiment of this chemical and physical stability, (5) fluxing acinvention, which includes means for injecting a tion, i. e., ability to dissolve and remove oxides shock-chilling agent (preferablyalow boiling hydrocarbon), an internal condenser olf the Weaton-Najarian type, and means for circulating the condensing fluid (preferably a mixture oi' l hydrocarbon liquids) through the condenser and 5 associated cooling, settling, `and separating apof composition differing from that of the metal--v lic vapor to be condensed, may be applied to any gas-vapor mixture, whether its origin be an arc furnace, a mufile, a retort, or other source. However, this condenser` is particularly applicable to the gas-vapor mixture supplied by an electrothermic furnace` of the type wherein the charge itself serves as the resistor, and the heat is generated in the charge itself. Furnaces of this type in conjunction with the aforementioned Weaton-Najarian type internal condensers have given outstanding results in the production of .zinc metal.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one form of the present invention as applied to the condensation of magnesium from a mixture of magnesium vapor and carbon monoxide such as is evolved, for example, by passing an electric -current through a charge consisting of an inti-A mate mixture of magnesia and carbon in an electric furnace whereby thel temperature of the charge is raisedto that required for smelting, that is, -about 2000 C. The mixture of carbon monoxide gas and magnesium metal vapor,

evolved in the furnace is withdrawn by suction i walls of the connecting chamber, thus avoiding accretions or eventual plugups.

The non-condensible gases (carbon monoxide) are drawn through the condensing 'liquid and into the Ifractionation column I4. The condenser temperature is maintained suliiciently high to boil olf substantially all of the 4lower boiling hydrocarbon together with a portion ocE the higher boiling hydrocarbon. In the fractionation colcarbon monoxide gas, inasmuch as the heating vaiueof the gas is enhanced b y any hydrocarbon gases added to it. An addition of this sort may occur from cracking of oil inthe connecting box and condenser entrance.

From separator chamber I8 the gases flow to vacuum pump 24 and to gas compressor 25. The

compressed gases may then be supplied through t i pipe 26 for preheating the furnace charge and through pipe 21 for other uses about the plant.

The condensed metal collects as a sludge in the condenser trap 28 from which it is withdrawn byl pump 29 and pumped through the filter 30; The separated liquid condensation medum from the filter passes through cooler 3l'. From the cooler 3I the clarified oil is introduced into the fractionation column Il where the aforementioned separation of high and low boiling inert liquids takes place.

Magnesium-oil sludge from the filter may be pressed and briquetted to eliminate excess liquid, and then distilled to obtain coherent metal of highpurity. When oil-covered the magnesium metal powder is protected from oxidation and is relatively free from ilre danger.

If desred, most pf they oil may be removed from the mixture by a low temperature distilla tion from4 whichl the oil may be recovered for re-use in the condenser system.

The example` and arrangement described above represents only one of a number of workable variationscoming within the scope of thepresentvinv'eiton.. It is not necessary, if type c condensing Vliquid is to be used, to employ a mix-tureHof/,low and high boiling point hydrocarbon liqdida'nor is the separation system necessary. vjlffgliss'e are refinements, having the advantages brought out in the above description.

The'sprays in the connecting box may, in an alternative arrangement, be dispensed with. OtherI alternative methods of circulating and tapping the condenser fluid are obvious to those skilled inthe artand are within the scope of umn I4 a separation of the two components occurs with the higher boiling oil flowing back into the condenser and the lower boiling gasoline coming off the upper portion of the column and flowing to a surge tank I5 from which, by a suitable pump I6, the low boiling inert liquid is returned to the connecting conduit sprays I3.

Eilluent gas from the top of the fractionation column I4 contains, in vapor form, an appreciable amount `of low boiling inert liquid-gasoline in the example being discussed. This vapor is removed, together with any particles of solid material, by passage of the `gas 'through' the gas cleanerll where thorough scrubbing by cold, high boiling point liquid (oil) occurs. In the separator chamber I8 the gasoline-oil mixture overflows down barometric leg and seal I9 to Vstorage tank 20. By pump 2| the oil is returned through cooler 22 inv part to the eductor sprays 23 and in part-into the fractionation column Il. The proportion so diverted to the fractionation column is adjusted to balance out approximately the amount of gasoline picked up by the `oil in the gas cleaner I1. Generally, it is not required to strip all of the low-boiling vapors from the the invention.

be condensed, and maintaining the liquid sub-v stance at a temperature at which there is no substantial reaction between the metal to be condensed and the non-condensible gas, preferably below the melting point of the metal to be condensed.

By causing the mixture of metallic vapor and gas to bubble through' a conned body of a suitable liquid substance, which because of its large mass relative to the mass of metallic vapor in contact therewithand the vigorous and thorough agitation resulting from this method of operation provides a very large heat absorptive capacity in intimate contact with the condensing vapors', the temperature of the metallic vapors upon contacting the body of liquid falls at an extremely rapid rate to the substantially constant .temperature level of the body of liquid. In this manner, all of the metallic vapor is uniformly cooled through the critical temperature zone in a very short period of time.

I claim: 1. A method of condensing magnesium from a mixture containing magnesium vapor and carbon monoxide which comprises-passing the mixture into a body of hydrocarbon material inert to magnesium at the temperature of condensation and liquid through a range of temperature from substantially below the melting point of magnesium to substantially above the melting point of magnesium, said hydrocarbon material including at least a portion of material which `to be condensed to substantially above the melting point of the metal to be condensed and maintaining the liquid substance at al temperature at which there is no substantial reaction between the metal to be condensed and the noncondensible gas by the volatilization of a portion of the liquid substance from said body thereof.

3. A method of condensing' magnesium from a mixture containing magnesium vaporand carbon monoxide which comprises passing the mixture into a body of liquid substance inert to magnesium at the temprature of condensation and liquid through a range of temperature `.from substantially below the melting point of'magnesium to substantially above the melting point of magnesium and maintaining the liquid substance at4 a temperature at which there is no substantial reaction between the magnesium and the carbon monoxide by the volatilization of a portion of the liquid substance from said body thereof. c

4. A method of condensing magnesium from a mixture containing magnesium vapor and carbon monoxide which comprises passing the mixture into a body of hydrocarbon material inert to magnesium at the temperature of condensation and liquid through a range of temperature from substantially below the melting point of magnesium to substantially above the melting point of magnesium, said hydrocarbon material including at least a portion of material which is volatilel under the conditions of condensation, maintaining the hydrocarbon material at a temperature at which there is no substantial reaction between the magnesium and the carbon monoxide by the volatilization of a portion of the hydrocarbon material from said body, condensing the volatilized hydrocarbon material andreturning the condensed material to said body.

5. A method of condensing magnesium imm a mixture containing magnesium and carbon monoxide which comprises introducing into said mixture a ilnely divided stream of liquid substance inert to magnesium and volatile at the temperature of said mixture and thereafter passing the mixture into a body of liquid substance inert to magnesium at the temperature of condensation and liquid through a range of temperature from substantially below the melting point of magnesium to substantially above the melting point o( magnesium, and maintaining the liquid substance at a temperature at which there is no substan densation and liquid through a range of teml perature from substantially below the melting point of magnesium to substantially above thev melting point of magnesium, maintaining the liquid substance at a temperature at which there is no substantial reaction between the magnesium and the carbon monoxide by the volatilization of a. portion of the liquid substance from said body thereof, condensing the volatilized material and returning at least a portion of the condensed material to said finely divided stream.

7. A method of condensing magnesium from a mixture containing magnesium and carbon monoxide which comprises introducing into said mixture a nely divided stream of liquid hydrocarbon inert to magnesium and volatile at the temperature of said mixture and thereafter passing the mixture into a body of liquid hydrocarbon inert to' magnesium at the temperature of condensation and liquid through a range of temperature from substantially below the melting point of magnesium to substantiallyabove the meltingv point of magnesium. and maintaining the liquid hydrocarbon at a temperature at which there is no substantial reaction between the mag- -nesium and the carbon monoxide by the volatilifrom said body thereof.

CARLETON c. LONG. 

